Richard smith



R. SMITH.

(No Model.)

AGITATOR.

Patented Apr. 26, 1892.

WZ/zassesQ JzzwmZ-wz J, W 5/ fidzmz A y, 2 17% 'dw if Q? lliviTnn STATESPATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD SMITH, OF SHERBROOKE, CANADA.

AGITATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 473,530, dated April26, 1892. Application filed March 25, 1891. Serial No. 386,361! (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, RIcHARD SMITH, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada,residing at Sherbrooke, in the county of Sherbrooke and Province ofQuebec, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAgitators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in agitators designed for stirringsemi-liquid materials, such as paints, pulp, and analogous substances;and my improvements pertain particularly to the peculiar construction ofthe agitator, as will hereinafter be described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of my improvedagitator with the stuff-chest in which it is arranged, partly inhorizontal section and partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionon line so 00, Fig. 1.

My improvements may be considered as relating to the class of stirringapparatus described in United States Patent N 0. 423,285, dated March11, 1890, wherein a series of revolving blades moved beneath astationary annular plate. In the present instance, however, I propose tohave the annular plate revolve in unison with the agitators, forpurposes hereinafter explained. The primary features of this stirringapparatus are a central feed and a circumferential discharge.

In the accompanying drawings, 2 repre sents a circular stuff-chest, inwhich is contained the material to be subjected to a stirring in orderto render the mixture homogeneous.

Supply and discharge pipes are shown at 3 4. At the bottom and suitablymounted in a step 5 is'placed an agitator 6, which is affixed to thefoot of a vertical shaft 7, suitably driven from some prime motor. Theagitator is composed of an imperforate circular disk 8, slightly dishedand with a central upraised cone-shaped center or post 9. This peculiarconformation is to facilitate the circulation, which, as beforepremised, is a central one with a circumferential discharge. At rightangles to the upper surface of the disk 8 is attached at regularintervals a series of curved arms 10 tangentially disposed. Said arms,however, may be straight in lieu of being curved and equally goodresults obtained. These arms set upon one edge are of greatest depthnear the center and diminish outwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, butterminate a short distance from the outermost part of the disk 8.Surmounting said arms and affixed upon their upper edges is positioned acontinuous annular plate 12, which is concave, being oval orsemicircular in cross-section, with the inner edge 13 lower than theouter one 14:. Furthermore, this plate projects to some extent beyondthe outer extremities of the arms and is about of the same diameter asthe lower plate or disk 8. Preferably the curvature of said plate is thegreatest at the inner edge and becomes less outwardly. By thisarrangement it will be seen that the arms 10 and the plate 12 eachperform the function of circulating the material in process ofmixing-that is, by rapid rotation of the agitator the material operatedupon by the arms moves outwardly in vertical planes, while that incontact with and affected by the annular plate 12 moves outwardly inhorizontal or slightly-oblique planes. The result is a much-increasedcirculation, since the amount of material naturally flowing downward andcentrally of the agitator is increased in quantity by the centrifugalaction created through the agency of the annular plate 12. Preferably aseries of ribs 15 may be cast with or secured upon the face of the plateto increase the outward action- The object in making the arms ldtaperingis to render the inner or receiving end of each space or passagewayexisting between two adjacent arms of greater capacity than thedischarging ends thereof. This insures the maintenance of a continuoussupply of the material operated upon, while the circulation of the saidmaterial is increased by the larger mass of material at the center,tending to crowd outwardly through passages which are somewhatcontracted by the peculiar formation of the arms 10.

To render the agitator light inconstruction, the disk 8 is made as athin casting,

while, owing to the dish-shaped conformation, a space is created betweensaid disk and the step. To prevent material from collecting there andthus not being actuated by the agitator, I have secured two or moreblades 16 beneath said disk. Hence any material which enters beneath theagitator is subjected to centrifugal action and compelled to circulateand mix with the main body in the Vat. Thus by the construction aboveshown I not only provide or create passages in the agitator, formed bythe lower disk, the upper annular plate, and two adjacent arms, but Iarrange that all such parts shall move in lieu of having the annularplate stationary. Thus the apparatus is made much more efficient.

What I claim is 1. The combination, with an imperforate rotary disk anda shaft by which said disk is carried, of an annular concave platethereabove and a series of interconnecting arms set edgewise andextending obliquely from a point some distance from the center of saiddisk outwardly, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a revoluble shaft, of a disk carried therebyand provided with a series of arms tangentially disposed upon the uppersurface thereof and extending from a point some distance from the centerof said disk outwardly and an annular concave plate fixed upon andadapted to cover said arms and to revolve with the said disk, the inneredge of said plate being lower than the outer edge thereof,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a rotary drivingshaft suitably mounted, of anagitator thereupon composed of an imperforate circular disk with anupraised center, a series of arms placed edgewise upon the outer portionof the upper surface thereof, and an annular concaved plate whichsurmounts and covers said arms projecting therebeyond and with its outeredge 14 upraised above the inner edge 13, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, with an imperforate rotary disk having two or moreblades therebeneath and a shaft by which said disk is carried, of anannular concave plate above but non-contiguous and a series of armsint-erposed edgewise between said disk and plate and extending obliquelyoutwardly, but terminating at a point some distance from the peripheryof said plate and disk, substantially as stated.

5. The combination, with a rotary shaft and a disk carried thereby, ofan annular plate above said disk and a series of interconnecting armsset edgewise and extending from a point some distance away from thecenter of said disk outwardly, the said arms being tapered and ofgreatest depth at their inner extremities, substantially as'described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD sMrrn.

Witnesses:

H. E. LODGE, FRANoIs C. STANWooD.

